he Polish language program, as SISU’s (Shanghai International Studies University) 32nd new major in the academic field of modern languages, was first founded in Shanghai to prepare translators and researchers in Central and Eastern European studies.

This major’s establishment coincided with the Polish Cultural Week which started from October 10, 2017 at SISU. To strengthen cultural communication between China and Poland, there were series of activities during the Culture Week including Sino-Polish cultural forums, lectures on the Polish language, drama courses and Polish film show. SISU has long dedicated to China's diplomacy and “the Belt and Road” Initiative, providing more talents for less commonly taught languages.

SISU President Li Yansong stressed during the opening ceremony of the Polish Cultural Week that SISU would cultivate students in Polish studies in the next four years for the contribution to the “One Belt and One Road” Initiative and the “16+1” cooperation between China and Central and Eastern Europe.

Piotr Nowotniak, Poland’s Consul General in Shanghai, also addressed during the ceremony that the new Polish program at SISU would enhance cultural exchanges between China and Poland. Since Poland was first group of countries to establish diplomatic ties with China, bilateral relations have been increasingly mature with substantial cooperation results in all fields.

During the opening ceremony, 13 SISU freshmen majored in Polish performed a bilingual song, Auld Lang Syne, in Chinese and Polish. Two Ph.D. students from Poland’s Adam Mickiewicz University played a scenario of Cosmos, a polish master piece written by Witold Gombrowicz.

Poland, a gateway that connects China and Europe plays an active role in China’s “One Belt and One Road” initiative. SISU has established the Center for Polish Studies to boost Central and Eastern European studies and enhance cultural, educational ties.

SISU has bridged cooperation with top universities in Poland, including the University of Warsaw and the Adam Mickiewicz University. Meanwhile, SISU has employed Polish experts as language teachers and plans to exchange faculty and students to study in Poland regularly.

Established in 1949, SISU is the first international studies university since the founding of the People's Republic of China where China’s foreign language education took shape. With increasing language programs and ever-developing strength in political science, SISU has transformed to be China's leading university for global and area studies.